Hungarian Red Lentil Soup Recipe from The Vegan 8 Cookbook (2024)

FAQs

Why is my lentil soup not thick? ›

Cook It Longer

Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.

Studies suggest that regularly eating lentils promotes good health and reduces your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer, including breast cancer. The plant-based compounds (polyphenols) in lentils may have especially powerful effects.

Lentil Soup will easily keep for 5 days in the fridge, making it ideal for cooking on the weekend and serving throughout the week. And it also freezes 100% perfectly for 3 months – even longer!

Lentil soup goes back to Genesis, with it possibly being the dish Jacob served Esau for his birthright and would have been eaten all over the Alexandrian empire, Middle East, and beyond.

Add a tablespoon of paprika and a small very very finely diced onion to the lentils after you have cooked them and stir in well. Leave on heat for a few minutes for flavours to blend. If you can't eat onion use a level teaspoon of Asa Foetida powder instead. Be sure and add salt to the dish.

the color change you've observed is from oxidation. If you want to prevent this, lay some plastic wrap over the surface of your lentils to prevent air from getting to them, or add some acid, like lime juice, to the recipe.

Black Lentils (Beluga lentils)

Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.

Pulse consumption has been shown to confer beneficial effects on blood glucose and insulin levels. Lentil consumption, in particular, consistently lowers acute blood glucose and insulin response when compared to starchy control foods.

Eating lentils can cause gas and bloating because they're high in fiber that your body is unable to break down. While fiber plays a large role in supporting and regulating your digestive system and bowel movements, it can also produce bacteria that leads to cramping and gas pains.

Yes, you can overcook lentils; they will become mushy. Much depends on the type of lentil you're using. Some cook quicker and hold their shape better than others. To avoid overcooking them, always follow the cooking directions in your recipe and use the type of lentils called for in the ingredient list.

What to pair lentil soup with? ›

Pair this lentil soup with crusty bread or a hearty salad like my kale salad or sweet potato salad. It would also go well with a vegetable side dish like roasted cauliflower, roasted broccoli, or a baked sweet potato.

As the veggies hit the boiling water, volatile acids are released into the water and are carried away in the steam. When the pot is covered, the steam and the acids it contains are forced back into the water. Once there, the acids react with the chlorophyll in the vegetables, turning them an unsightly shade of brown.

Lentils symbolise coins, so Hungarians tend to eat a lot of them on 1st January. Lentil stew and lentil soup are typical New Year's dishes, but other legumes bring luck too, so a big bowl of bean soup will not be out of place on the table either.

Those look to be radicles (embryonic stems, the part the root grows from) that have separated from the lentils. If you look closely at the less squished lentils in your soup, you'll probably see some with the radicles still attached.

Lentil dishes are most widespread throughout South Asia, the Mediterranean regions, West Asia, and Latin America. In the Indian subcontinent, Fiji, Mauritius, Singapore and the Caribbean, lentil curry is part of the everyday diet, eaten with both rice and roti.

This lentil soup should be fairly thick, but if you prefer a thicker soup, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl.

You can also use flour or cornflour to thicken a soup. Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer.

You can thicken lentils by simmering it a little more or adding a table spoon of cream ( malai) into it…. Dal/lentils always thicken naturally over time. If you do not have the luxury of time, perhaps leave it on the hob for a bit longer till the excess water evaporates.

It's all whipped up in one pot with simple and inexpensive ingredients like fresh veggies, bold spices, and of course plenty of lentils. It's a wonderfully thick soup that's equal parts filling and flavorful!